Southern Miss (25-14, 11-6) is hosting ULM (17-21, 5-12) at the Pete for a weekend series. Here are the game recaps as they happen:
Game One:
In an inning that lasted just over half an hour, Southern Miss scored ten runs in the third inning to steam past ULM 14-3 to open the series.
“Great to win on Friday night,” Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said. “That’s what I told the guys. I think about how we felt a week ago at this time to come back and turn that a little bit. I was proud of the guys to put that big inning together.”
To start the Golden Eagles’ scoring frenzy, Davis Gillespie obliterated a ball in the bottom of the first inning for his sixth home run of the year. The two-run homer traveled 410 feet and 101 miles per hour to put the Golden Eagles up 2-0 in the bottom of the first.
“I got down to two strikes and we knew coming in that he was throwing up in the zone with two strikes,” Gillespie said. “He threw a fastball up in the zone and I got it.”
Gillespie has given the Golden Eagles a consistent presence at the plate that some of the other guys in the lineup have not yet brought to the ball club.
“He’s a big strong monster,” Ostrander said. “He’s got a lot of pop in there and when he connects there is something behind it….he goes up there and he’s always a threat.”
After Gillespie’s two-run shot, the Warhawks tied the game up with several sac-flys.
The Golden Eagles returned the favor by scoring another pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Monistere and Slade Wilks connected on back-to-back sacrifice fly to put Southern Miss up 4-2.
After the Warhawks could not answer in the top of the third, Southern Miss dropped a ten spot on them.
It all started when a pitch hit Billy Butler and Matthew Russo in back-to-back at-bats. Tucker Stockman then laid down a bunt to the left side of the infield, where the Warhawk pitcher fielded it and tried to throw it over to third but threw it away for an error, causing Butler to score.
Gabe Broadus then picked up an RBI single to center field, bringing home Russo. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on another wild pitch, which allowed Stockman to score. A batter later, Broadus scored on a wild pitch.
Nick Monistere followed Broadus’s score with a triple to right field, and Wilks batted him home with a single into center field. After Gillespie struck out, Carson Paetow reached base on a fielding error.
Butler brought Wilks home with an RBI single, and then Paetow scored on a balk called on the Warhawk pitcher.
To finish the scoring off, Stockman and Broadus collected RBI singles to make the run total 10 in the inning.
Ozzie Pratt grounded out to mercifully end the frame.
Broadus led the Golden Eagles in RBIs on the day with three, and Wilks and Gillespie each had a pair of RBIs.
“I’ve been passive recently and it’s been kind of killing me at the plate so tonight I was trying to be super aggressive,” Broadus said. “Just making sure to box everything up and make him come to me.”
On the mound, Golden Eagles starter Billy Oldham Jr pitched a stellar day, going for a complete game.
“It’s always good [to have a complete game],” Oldham said. “You know it’s always nice when it’s seven inning and we scored a bunch of runs. Our offense continues to keep hitting for us and that’s all we can ask for as a pitcher.”
Oldham’s line tonight was 7.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K’s, 97 TP.
Oldham is coming off a brutal performance at Georgia State last weekend, but bouncing back with a complete game is precisely what the doctor ordered.
“You’re going to get popped in the mouth and he did last week,” Ostrander said. “Like I told them last week that’s not who we are, and you don’t have an identity of that, so you just got to go out there and keep competing. I thought he did that, and he was ready to go.”
So far, Southern Miss has done nothing but win since getting embarrassed in those games at Georgia State last weekend. Can they keep that up? Everyone is asking, however.
Gillespie certainly thinks that they have and will continue to respond.
“Getting beat down two games we want to respond and that’s what we have done,” Gillespie said.
Southern Miss improves to 24-14, 10-6 in conference play with the win. They will go for the series victory tomorrow at 11 AM.
Game Two:
Tucker Stockman’s five RBIs, highlighted by a walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning, propelled Southern Miss to a second consecutive run-rule victory over ULM 13-3, clinching the series.
“I’m really proud of this win,” Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said. “The guys had to come back after they got three runs, and we’ve been there before. That’s what I love about this group. They don’t ever seem to panic.”
Throughout the season, the Golden Eagles have sought a reliable presence at catcher, and Stockman is emerging as a contender for that position. His contribution extends beyond his defensive skills, as his batting prowess addresses a pressing need in the lineup.
“Hitting-wise, I changed my approach a little bit,” Stockman said. I’m to just get out in front, stay out in front, and not be late on fastballs.”
Stockman’s stamina behind the dish has caused pitchers like winning pitcher Will Armistead, who threw four innings today with five strikeouts, to enjoy throwing to him.
“He’s really fun,” Armistead said. “He brings a lot of energy, every pitch he’s in it and it always feels like he’s helping you do good.”
Stockman ended his day with an opposite-field grand slam to walk off the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The ball carried 368 feet and traveled at 98 miles per hour.
The Warhawks jumped in front of Southern Miss early to start the game when Jake Haggard reached base on a fielder’s choice RBI. Then, in the third inning, Shawn Weatherbee blasted his fifth home run of the year to put ULM up 3-0.
Stockman started his efficient day with a walk in the third inning, followed by Gabe Broadus, who also reached with a base on balls. After Ozzie Pratt singled, Nick Monistere drew a RBI walk to bring the score to 3-1.
Slade Wilks then gave Southern Miss the lead with a three-RBI triple, putting the Golden Eagles on top 4-3. They never looked back after that.
Davis Gillespie singled up the middle for an RBI, followed by a Stockman RBI single to bring the inning total to six runs for Southern Miss.
Yesterday, the Golden Eagles scored ten runs in the third inning, and today, they scored six. Last weekend, they were run-ruled twice, and now this week, they have run-ruled their opponent twice.
“They have character,” Ostrander said. “We have good leadership. We have some older guys who have been a part of great things here, and they know what it takes to add to that tradition of excellence.”
Wilks joined Stockman with three hits, including three RBIs. His hitting streak, the longest of his career, has now extended to 12 games.
Southern Miss (25-14, 11-6) will have a chance to sweep in Sunday’s matchup against ULM (17-21, 5-12).
The Golden Eagles are 1-4 in potential sweep games this season.
“Sweeping is not easy, and winning is not easy at this level,” Ostrander said. “You have to do a lot of things right to win a college baseball game at this level. We will treat it just like we treated today, yesterday, and every game. It’s not about thinking about the final of a sweep; it’s about playing the best 27 outs you can.”
The series finale first pitch is slated for 1 PM.
Game Three:
Southern Miss Baseball’s four-game winning streak was snapped by ULM on Sunday, April 21st. After winning the first two games of the weekend series, the Golden Eagles dropped the potential sweep in a 1-5 loss. The Warhawks snapped their own four-game losing streak and a nine-game losing streak to Southern Miss in Sunday’s game.
“Disappointed with the loss, as always, we never come out here to lose,” Ostrander said.
In a Surprise lineup change, Niko Mazza Started on Sunday after throwing in relief for in Tuesday’s game against Nicholls. This past week has marked the first time Mazza has thrown in relief all season and the first time he has not been the Friday starter. Mazza’s day pitching was an improvement from his last starting appearance, allowing no runs and only two hits through six innings. He was pulled after a one-out walk and hitting a pitcher at the top of the seventh. His day ended with two unearned runs on two hits and eight strikeouts. Notably, his six-and-a-third innings came only on 81 pitches, highlighting an impressive and efficient outing. Unfortunately, the seventh is where the wheels fell off for the Golden Eagles.
“Honestly, it was a really good game there through six innings,” Ostrander added.
Scoring one run in the fifth inning off back-to-back doubles from center fielder Carson Paetow and designated hitter Billy Butler, the Golden Eagles had the lead until it was given up in the seventh when Sophomore Kros Sivley relieved Mazza. The two base runners on with one out scenario proved far more harmful than the Golden Eagle faithful and bullpen would originally think. The first batter Sivley faced laced a ball right back to the pitcher, but a flip throw went far over Russo’s head, causing a quick out to allow a runner to score. A sacrifice fly and double gave the Warhawks a 3-1 lead in the seventh and never looked back.
An RBI double in the eighth gave ULM a 4-1 lead, and an RBI single in the top of the ninth put the final nail on Southern Miss’s coffin. Despite putting up ten hits, the Golden Eagles could only plate one. Paetow, first baseman Matthew Russo, and third baseman Gabe Broadus led the team in hitting, each having two to their name.
